


mistletoe

by baexil



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/F, Strangers to Lovers, Witches, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:00:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28304940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baexil/pseuds/baexil
Summary: Minji doesn't really take being a princess seriously, but there is something about the new guard that makes her want to.
Relationships: Kim Bora | SuA/Kim Minji | JiU
Comments: 3
Kudos: 52
Collections: DC Secret Santa 2020





	mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [timeofsorrow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeofsorrow/gifts).



“Your highness,” Yubin calls as she knocks on the double doors leading in to her rooms. It’s something that had taken a while for Minji to train her to do when she had first been added onto her personal guard. Despite being able to get that small concession to her privacy, she also knew Yubin would give her all of three moments before barging in her room.

So when she hears Yubin’s call, she almost jumps out of bed, going from mostly asleep to fully awake in a short enough time that it made her a bit queasy with the difference. 

“One moment!” She calls, rushing across the room, her bare feet cold on the stone floors and she shivers. 

Willfully ignorant to her request, the door springs open. With a squeak, Minji rushes behind a screen divider, but not fast enough that Yubin must get a clear view of her streaking, fully nude. 

“Good morning,” Yubin says, her intonation not showing that she had seen the princess fully nude. But then again, it wasn’t the first time. Minji rolls her eyes and slips on a silk dressing gown. 

“I didn’t say you could come in yet,” Minji protests. 

“When it comes to you getting out of bed, we would have to wait all morning for you to fully wake up.” Yubin responds dryly, opening her curtains with a snap, flooding the room with the bright late morning sun. 

“We?” Minji repeats, confused, peers around the divider to take a look at Yubin who is accompanied by someone she’s never seen before. A flush of embarrassment shoots through her, that is certainly not how she should meet people as princess to the realm. She briefly meets the woman’s eyes and squeaks again, jumping back to hide behind the screen. 

“Introducing your new personal guard, Kim Bora,” Yubin says. 

Minji immediately wants to argue that she had no idea that someone knew was joining her guard let alone today of all days, but after she gives herself a moment to think about it, she does vaguely remember some discussion of it in her last staffing meeting. She had barely paid attention that day, distressed at getting more staff when she already felt like she had too many people around her. 

Yubin clears her throat and Minji winces, taking a moment to compose herself but she pulls back her shoulders and straightens her back, striding out from the screen and into the room, trying to look as regal as she possibly could in mussed hair, her dressing gown, and bare feet. 

Much to Minji’s annoyment, Yubin looks vaguely amused while the new woman stays carefully neutral. 

“Nice to meet you,” she says levelly, “If you excuse me, I have to prepare for the day.” 

She’s proud for just a moment until she turns towards her dressing room and then spectacular trips on a piece of clothing she left on the floor last night. She not sure if the snort comes from Yubin or the new guard, it could've easily been either. 

\----

As the 12 days of Yuletide were fast approaching, her mother thought it fit to give Minji the lead on preparing for the festivities. A test for her future leadership abilities, her mother had explained. It would be a good way to earn some goodwill with their people while teaching her some key skills in delegating and management. 

Minji’s not sure about all of that, but it was amazingly fun. Planning for her favorite holiday hardly seemed like a chore on most days. Today was not one of those days. 

“What if we sat them next to the table here?” Minji suggests, pointing to the seating map spread out in front of them, trying to not let her frustration show. 

“We simply can’t,” one of the planners says with a sniff. Minji couldn’t tell if she heard a condescending tone because it was there or because she was on her last nerve. “We’d have to move the Han coven to do so and if we place them any further away that-” 

Minji slumps in her chair, tuning out the rest of the sentence. There were too many politics going on about something that was supposed to be fun and for the everyone, not just the ruling class. 

“I’m good friends with the Han coven’s heir,” Minji finally says, cutting through whatever else the planner was saying, “I’ll reach out to her to ensure she’s not offended but she won’t be. Just change it and let's move on.” 

There was some muttering at that decision, but she couldn’t discuss this matter any longer than they already had and so she ignores the criticism. 

“What’s next?” She asks, giving them no opportunities than to discuss the placement of another coven. 

They are thirty more minutes into seating arrangements and they’ve only got through three of the twelve covens they are supposed to be talking about it. Trying to hold in her frustration, Minji stifles a sigh and looks around the room, desperately looking for a sign of anything that could possibly pull her from this dull meeting. 

The searching has her briefly making eye contact with her new guard. Bora, she remembers, as her eyes dart away. She waits a moment before her eyes are back, glad when she’s looking at someone else or looking at the security. Minji isn’t exactly sure. 

Her form is lithe and surprisingly small compared to the other royal guards. She looks far too petite to pass the tests that the women who wanted to be royal guards were put through. But that sword at her hip was certainly not a decoration. She must know how to use it. Not realizing how far into her thoughts she is about the woman, Minji jumps when those catlike eyes meet hers again. 

“Your highness,” Bora pipes up. Minji’s heart races for a moment, fearing she’ll be called out for staring but is surprised when Bora says, “It’s time for your next appointment.” 

Keeping the surprised from her face, Minji quickly clears her throat. 

“Oh you are right, I must’ve lost track of time with how much fun we were having,” Minji says pleasantly despite absolutely lying through her teeth. She sees Bora’s lips twitch in what she thinks must be amusement. 

“If you’ll excuse us.” Minji says before beating a quick retreat. 

She and Bora file into the hallway and she turns to Bora, a question on her lips but the woman’s catlike eyes are twinkling and she holds a finger to her lips in a silent gesture to stay silent. Minji’s eyes widen but she nods and then follows Bora down the hallway. It’s not until they are well out of earshot of the meeting rooms does Bora speak up. 

“Where to, your Highness?” She asks, sounding amused. 

“You lied,” Minji says instead of an answer, not in a confrontational way, but more surprised. 

“I determined that the meeting was to a threat against your security and found a way to get you away from the dangerous situation.” Bora says in a tone that sounds really professional and formal but goes against the way shes sliding a smirk her way. Minji feels her heart skip a beat at the look. 

“That meeting was so boring I thought I was going to die,” Minji admits dryly. 

“Isn’t that what I said?” Bora says innocently. It’s enough for Minji to break out into laughter. Bora doesn’t join in but she throws a conspiring look her way, repeating, “Where to now, Your Highness?” 

\-----

Minji finds that when Bora is assigned to her, those days seem to be the most fun. Sure, she's happy getting ready for Yule, ensuring that the decorative spells they have are working in the Great Hall, that food preparation is going well, that the entertainment is going to be as fun as she wants. But there is something about knowing that Bora will be the one who is going to knocking on her the next morning that has her looking forward to waking up and getting to her schedules. She made the day so much more fun and enjoyable. 

Yubin was starting to look at her weirdly when they coming into her bedroom in the morning and she's already dressed for the day. 

"What?" Minji ends up asking one morning. She's already up and ready for the day, already a few bites into her breakfast. Yubin walked in like she didn't know who was sitting there waiting for her. 

"Nothing," Yubin says quickly, clearing her throat and reading off her days schedule instead. 

"Where's Bora?" Minji asks, after half listening to her report. 

"Training," Yubin replies with a knowing smile. Minji happily ignores it. 

When her meeting just happens to oversee the Guard's training grounds, she makes an excuse to look out the window. It's for a stretch, she says to herself, but her thoughts quickly get quiet when she sees Bora practicing with the other Guardswomen. She's swinging around that sword like it's one of her arms, picking it up and moving it as if it didn't weigh anything. She barely looks out of breath as she spars with another Guard. Minji's mouth goes dry as her small and petite frame moves around as graceful as a dancer, spinning around her opponent with relative ease.

Then Bora slams her sword into the ground and the ground sparks with magic and Minji's eyebrows fly up in surprise. 

Beautiful, strong, magical- Minji's not sure she ever had a chance, her heart beating widely out of her chest. When someone calls for her attention to come back to the meeting, she has a hard time tearing her eyes away from Bora.

\-----

"You've done a good job," her mother leans over to say to her after the Yule dinner was finished and what little food was left was taken away. Her mother looks proud and a sense of achievement rushes through her, glad that she did this duty of hers well. 

"It was really fun, I enjoyed it," Minji confesses. The queen looks like she wants to continue the conversation, but their attention is drawn away by tables getting pushed away to the sides of the Great Hall, leaving the middle of the room open for the after-feast festivities. Musicians gather to the right of the head table where the queen is seated and they finish their preparations, the people gathering in the middle of the room, excited to get started.

Her mother, not one for overly fussy formalities or speeches, nevertheless rises from her seat and the excited chatter dies down, allowing the queen to speak. 

"Yuletime blessings to all of you, may we celebrate this time of rest of the earth as we prepare for the lengthening days once again," her mother days, clear and concise as she always is, Minji is surprised when she doesn't officially start the music, instead turning to her with a smile. She continues, "And a heartfelt thank you to my daughter for all of her hard work in tonight's feast."

There is a loud cheer for her and she grins through it, feeling so touched.

"Perhaps you'd like to start the festivities," her mother offers, gesturing to her. Minji, with wide eyes, stands, for sure not going to turn down this opportunity. 

She takes a moment to look over the people gathered for Yule and smiles, seeing happy and well-fed faces. In the sea of faces, she somehow lands on Bora who is not dressed in her standard Guard's uniform and in is a beautiful dress instead. Their eyes lock and Minji swears electricity sparks between them. 

"Happy Yule!" She cries out, clapping once. The sound of the clap resonates across the hall and the ceiling dims, as a charm causing gentle snow to rain down on the people, sparkling as it falls and vanishing when it touches the ground. There's an astonished gasp from the crowd as people reach out to touch the soft, sparkling snow. Minji grins, feeling happy with her surprise and then nods at the musicians to start the music. 

People break off to dance, twirling around in the snow, a sight so elegant that Minji is sure that her smile can't get any wider. 

It does, however, when Bora starts to cut through the crowd, making her way to the high table. With every step, Minji's heart beats a bit faster. Her mother makes a bit of a noise when Bora grabs her wrist and starts to drag her away. Her slight concern melts when she sees how widely Minji is grinning, eagerly allowing herself to be dragged away. 

Minji isn't really sure where Bora intends on dragging her but she does go in exactly the right hallway that Minji hoped she would.

"Stop, Bora," Minji says, finally pull back on the grip Bora has on her. Bora does, dropping her hand as if she had been burned.

"Sorry," Bora says in a rush, panting a bit almost as if she hadn't been able to take a full breath since their eyes had locked in the middle of the crowd.

Minji wants to tell her she has nothing to be sorry for, but instead takes a step towards her, enough to be in her personal space and laces their hands together. She gives her a soft smile, tracing the features of her face as Bora gives her a small smile back. She only takes her eyes away to look up, hoping Bora will follow. She does.

Mistletoe hangs above their heads. And Bora seems to understand why Minji had stopped her right at this very spot.

"A princess can't break a Yule tradition," Bora says, tone slightly teasing but her eyes sparking with anticipation. 

"Absolutely not," Minji agrees, cupping Bora's chin and tilting her up to softly press their lips together.

**Author's Note:**

> happy secret santa <3 thanks for letting me write for you


End file.
